


Keeping Faith

by Laylah



Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Best Friends, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, New Game Plus Challenge, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-29
Updated: 2010-03-29
Packaged: 2017-10-08 12:32:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/75690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laylah/pseuds/Laylah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The sun is sinking below the horizon, and the water stretches unbroken and calm in front of them. "Yuri," Flynn says. "Hang in there."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keeping Faith

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lynndyre](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lynndyre/gifts).



The light is starting to fade, but Flynn keeps squinting out over the water, straining to see. Any minute now they'll make their find -- they'll _have_ to. A dark shape in the water, floating on the waves, clinging to debris from the tower -- keeping himself afloat and ready to complain about rescue taking too long. Or even...even in the worst case scenario, even if he's too late, Flynn wants to --

No, what Flynn wants is to find Yuri _alive_. He won't let himself consider any other options. He clenches his fist at his side until the sharp edges of his gauntlets bite into his flesh and he has to let go. The pain helps keep him alert, but he can't afford to let himself get injured -- now, more than ever. People are depending on him.

There are footsteps on the deck behind him, but Flynn doesn't turn. "Sir," Sodia says. "If we want to be able to return to port safely, we need to come around now. We're losing the light."

"Soon," Flynn says, more sharply than he meant to. "I just want to keep looking for a little bit longer."

Sodia takes an audible breath. "Sir, with all due respect --"

Flynn turns to face her. "What, you want me to give up? You're going to tell me he's not worth it? We don't have a chance?"

Sodia freezes, standing rigid at attention, and she doesn't say anything but her expression gives away more than enough -- guilt and misery and worry, plenty of reproach without a word.

Flynn sags. "I apologize, lieutenant," he says. "That was uncalled for." Objectively, it's true, isn't it? Yuri is only one man, and no matter how much he matters to Flynn, the rest of the Empire doesn't need him the same way. "Give the order to turn about," Flynn says.

"Sir," Sodia says, saluting before she turns away.

The sun is sinking below the horizon, and the water stretches unbroken and calm in front of them. "Yuri," Flynn says. "Hang in there."

He'll come back tomorrow and try again, he tells himself. He'll get up early so he can get through his responsibilities as soon as possible -- he just keeps getting more of those, taking on the duties of the commandant even though he's starting to wonder if his judgment really is sound enough for command. But there aren't many people with enough seniority to do it anymore; Cumore is...gone, and Schwann is missing in action; LeBlanc might know what happened to him but has been keeping a blustering, loud silence on the subject. Not that Flynn has any room to criticize that kind of stubborn loyalty, with the way he's acting himself.

Still, LeBlanc is a good man. He sent his men to evacuate the Lower Quarter when the capital was overrun, didn't he? Flynn can probably hand off some of his responsibilities to LeBlanc, the straightforward stuff that the lieutenant will handle well. And with any luck he'll finish up for the day a little earlier tomorrow, and have time to make a more thorough search.

By the time they get back to port it's full dark, and the crew have to tie up by lamplight. They don't complain, but it's pretty clear none of them are happy about it. Flynn makes a point of thanking each of the sailors individually before they leave.

Sodia is the last one left when everyone else has gone home. "Sir," she says, and takes a shuffling step closer. "I-is there anything else I can do for you?" She reaches out hesitantly, as if she could steady him.

Flynn tries to pull himself together for a little longer. He must be in bad shape, for Sodia to breach protocol like that. "Don't worry about me," he says. He manages to dredge up a smile from somewhere. "Just get some sleep, lieutenant. I'm afraid we still have plenty of work ahead of us tomorrow."

She looks like she wants to argue, but after a moment's awkward silence she just nods. "Good night, sir," she says.

After she's gone, Flynn lets himself slump against a stack of crates on the dock. It's still a long way to go, with a lot of stairs, before he makes it back to his own bed. When he stops to take stock, he can tell how badly he's doing; there are little tremors in his limbs entirely too often, the result of all the sleep he's lost since Zaude. It's so hard to sleep when he's worrying, though. He tosses and turns if he has any energy left at all, his stomach in knots and his mind racing with all the horrible possibilities he doesn't want to let himself consider. It's an awful feeling, numb and aching at the same time.

"God damnit, Yuri," he says to the night air.

From behind him he hears, "Hey, I didn't get you into this one."

Flynn jumps, spinning around. "Yuri!" he says.

Yuri is standing there, leaning against a pier piling, smiling the most awkward, sheepish, _wonderful_ smile Flynn has ever seen. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he says.

"Yuri, how --" Flynn shakes his head; it doesn't matter right now. He takes a step toward Yuri, another -- and then black spots swim in front of his eyes and his knees turn to water as his balance goes --

And Yuri catches him before he can hit the dock, grunting as he takes Flynn's weight. "Whoa, commandant. What happened to you?"

"I'm fine," Flynn insists as the dizziness recedes. "I've just been working a little too much overtime, I guess."

Yuri's hands tighten on his arms. "You idiot," he says.

Flynn glares once his vision clears enough. "I was afraid you were _dead_," he says. His voice cracks, and that makes his face get hot, because it's all the excuse Yuri needs to give him hell for caring too much. "And I couldn't accept that."

Yuri just nods, instead of saying anything smart-assed, and that makes Flynn's stomach roll over again because it means _he_ thinks it was a close call, too. "I'm sorry, Flynn," he says. "But I'm back now, all right? You can stop worrying."

"Right," Flynn says. He doesn't want to let go. "Can you -- will you come back to the castle with me for tonight?"

"With the shape you're in?" Yuri says. "My -- our old room is a lot closer."

He can always leave early in the morning, and make it back to work without too much time wasted. Flynn nods slowly. "That sounds good to me," he says.

Neither of them lets the other out of arm's reach all the way back to their room, upstairs from the inn. Everything there looks so familiar, so much like Flynn remembers it -- even after years in the knights, this still feels like coming home.

By the time he gets his armor off, the exhaustion of the past few days is catching up with him. "I'm not sure what you're expecting," he says as he drapes his tunic over the back of the chair, "but I might not be good for much tonight."

"My hero," Yuri says, but his smile still looks more sweet than obnoxious. He steps close and kisses Flynn quickly, gently. "There'll be time for other stuff in the morning. For now, why don't you just get some sleep?"

"You'd better be staying, too," Flynn says.

"Of course," Yuri says. He starts to kick his boots off as Flynn crawls into bed. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Flynn's already half asleep by the time Yuri tugs the blankets back to slide in with him. He thinks he apologizes for that, thinks Yuri laughs in response -- and then there's just the dark and Yuri's warmth beside him and things are going to be okay, at last, and Flynn sleeps.

*

The morning sun comes in at an angle that's strange and really familiar, both at the same time. Flynn takes a deep breath and even just Yuri's _scent_ is so comforting it makes his heart ache. He's still tired, honestly, but he's doing a lot better and he doesn't want to miss this chance while he has it.

He rolls over carefully -- this bed was already too small for both of them before they joined the knights -- so he can get a good look. Yuri is fast asleep, hair fanned across the pillow, one bare shoulder exposed where the blanket's sliding down. It would probably be kinder to let him sleep, but Flynn can't help himself. He tugs the blanket down a little further --

And then stops when he sees the bandages wrapped around Yuri's middle. He thinks back over the previous evening, feeling queasy all over again -- there must have been signs that Yuri was hurt; how did he miss them?

Yuri stirs, groping for the blanket, and then stops sharply with a hiss of indrawn breath.

"Yuri," Flynn says, and that makes him open his eyes.

"Morning, Flynn," he says, his voice thick with sleep. "Feeling better?"

"Me?" Flynn says. "What about you?"

Yuri smiles weakly. "Turns out I wasn't the only dangerous person at the top of that tower," he says. "Who'd have guessed, right?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Flynn says. "Why were you up and walking around when you're that badly hurt?"

"One of the first things I heard when I woke up yesterday was that my best friend was trying to work himself to death," Yuri says. "I'm not going to apologize for wanting to do something about that!"

"I don't want you to apologize," Flynn says. "I want you to take care of yourself!"

Yuri opens his mouth like he's about to say something, then shuts it again. He glares back at Flynn for a minute. "I will if you will," he says eventually.

"You first," Flynn says. He can see a smile tugging at the corners of Yuri's lips.

"Ahead of the great Flynn Scifo? Can't be done," Yuri says. "Now give me back the blanket. It's cold in here."

"Can so," Flynn says automatically, but he grabs the edge of the blanket and lies back down, pulling it over both of them. Yuri raises a skeptical eyebrow at him. "Sorry," he says. "Old habits die hard, I guess."

Yuri gives him a crooked smile. "Can't let me have the last word, can you?"

Flynn pretends to think about that for a second. "I guess not," he says, and leans in for a kiss. Yuri starts to laugh, before the kiss smothers the sound. His mouth is soft and warm, and his hand finds Flynn's under the blanket, their fingers twining together. It's been a while, and Yuri's always been the most attractive person Flynn knows; his body starts to respond almost immediately. He shifts closer, trying to move carefully, but Yuri still inhales too sharply when Flynn presses against him.

He breaks the kiss. "Not a good time, huh?" he says. He tries to keep the worry out of his voice.

"I'm on the mend, Flynn, don't worry," Yuri says. "I might not be better yet but I'm getting there."

"That's the most important thing," Flynn says. He smiles sheepishly. "Honestly, I probably wouldn't be very exciting right now anyway. I still feel like I could sleep for another week."

"We'll make up for it next time we see each other," Yuri says. "I'll be all patched up, and you'll be well rested, and I'll spend all night showing you how happy I am to see you."

That'll only wear him out again, Flynn thinks, but for once he manages to curb the impulse to argue. "I can't wait," he says.

Yuri smiles back. "Me neither."

Flynn slides an arm under Yuri's shoulders carefully, holding him close. "This okay for now?" he says.

"For now?" Yuri says. His breath ruffles Flynn's hair. "Try always."

Flynn swallows around the lump in his throat. "I will," he says.


End file.
